We Are Gathered Book PDF, EPUB Download & Read Online Free

Humor and sorrow join together in Jamie Weisman’s captivating debut novel—the story of an interfaith wedding from the perspectives of its (adoring, envious, resentful, hilarious) guests One afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia. Two people heading to the altar. One hundred fifty guests. The bride, Elizabeth Gottlieb, proud graduate of the University of Virginia and of Emory University School of Law, member of Atlanta’s wealthy Jewish elite. The groom, Hank Jackson, not a member. Not a Jew. The couple of the hour, however, is beside the point, because We Are Gathered belongs to the guests. Among them, Carla, Elizabeth’s quick-witted, ugly duckling childhood best friend turned Hollywood film scout, whose jaundiced view of the drama that is an American wedding provides a lens of humor and its corollary, deep compassion for the supporting actors who steal the show; Elizabeth’s great-aunt Rachel, a Holocaust survivor from Germany who is still navigating a no-man’s-land between cultures and identities decades after escaping from the forests of Europe; Elizabeth’s wheelchair-bound grandfather Albert, who considers his legacy as a man, both in the boardroom and the bedroom; and Annette, the mother of the bride herself, reminded now of her youthful indiscretions in love and motherhood. Balancing razor-sharp humor with a blunt vision of the fragility of our mortal bonds, Jamie Weisman skillfully constructs a world—and family—that pulls you in and carries you along with its refreshing, jagged beauty.

For readers of Maggie Shipstead and Maria Semple, a tender and funny debut that tells the story of an interfaith wedding in Atlanta--from the perspectives of its (adoring, envious, resentful, hilarious) guests

In the late nineteenth century, Regina Sartwell and Olive Honsinger, reacting to society's constraints on women, seek emotional freedom in such alternative societies as gypsy camps, a madhouse, and a commune of renegade Shaker women

In Grown & Gathered, Matt and Lentil Pubrick's first book, they tell you all that they know about growing, gathering, nurturing and cooking your own food. The first part of the book is Matt and Lentil's guide to producing your own food. The information, advice and projects can be used whether you have a 3-acre block or a courtyard with planter boxes. The Grow chapter shows you how to grow vegetables and fruit in whatever space you have, using the most earth-friendly practices; Gather explains how to forage for things like mushrooms, native greens and wild fruits; Nurture provides guidance on raising your own animals, from chickens and bees to cows. The second part of the book features over 100 delicious, nourishing and creative wholefood recipes. There's a host of staples, everything from how to prepare and sprout grains in a traditional way, to making and maintain a sourdough culture, and techniques and recipes for preserving and pickling. Other super tasty dishes include greens and kimchi pancakes; sweet and spicy turnips; fig, bacon and zucchini pizzas; duck ramen; and carrot crepes with burnt oranges and labne. This is a specially formatted fixed-layout ebook that retains the look and feel of the print book.

Much has been written about the practice of one-to-one spiritual direction, but much less about small group communities that offer in-depth mutual spiritual support and guidance to its members. But small groups are most likely the more usual setting for spiritual companionships and have a strong biblical, theological and historical foundation in the Christian tradition. This book offers a detailed presentation of ten small group models, plus guidance in group leadership dynamics. It also presents material related to group retreat work, spiritual guidance with organizations, and a peer supervision/consultation model for supporting leaders of spiritual companionship groups, and retreats. SDI is an active marketing partner on behalf of its authors and the series has high brand visibility and strong sales history. Church leaders, spiritual directors and educators are looking for the kinds of resources this book provides to assist them in understanding and leading groups and retreats.

“We have gathered here to establish a society for all who wish to follow the path and method of Baal HaSulam, the way by which to climb the degrees of man.” Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (RABASH), Essay, “The Purpose of Society.”

Where Two or More Are Gathered by Davie Lee Ryan I dedicated this book to you from God through me. This book contains very powerful messages and quotes that I have received both while either going through trials and tribulations or simply being still and praying for answers. To hear God within, its neither rocket science nor magic tricks or spells. God did not make it hard for us to feel and hear his divine spirit within. We must simply be still consistently and pray daily with a cleansed body/temple to ultimately feel and hear with clarity, meaning that the most effective way to feel and hear God is to eliminate all foods and liquids that do not belong in our bodies such as meats, fluoride, alcohol, and drugs of any kind. Also, we must abstain from sex of any kind and consistently meditate while being still. If you are married, have your spouse try this with you. It could mean a bright new beginning for you both. I would suggest seven days at least or more of eating only fruits and vegetables, drinking only water, and praying three or more times a day. I have categorized this book according to what you may be going through or experiencing at this very moment as I have been through so many different trials and tribulation and probably have been through exactly what you are going through right now. I pray this book will bring you comfort, healing, and the answers to the questions you seek. May peace be upon you. Enjoy.

Since its retrieval by the Second Vatican Council, the idea of Christian families as "domestic churches" has slowly but steadily gained favor among Catholics. Striking a careful balance between academic theology and practical spirituality, Florence Caffrey Bourg provides a comprehensive analysis of the home and family as one of the most authentic and important locations of the faith community. Bourg draws on literature pertaining to domestic churches from the period of Vatican II to the present to explore the concept of domestic church in relation to the Catholic theological traditions of sacramentality, virtue, and the consistent ethic of life. Bourg examines the role of families--as basic cells of society and church--in character education, formation of religious identity and vision, and creation of more just social structures. She provides a foundational treatment of Christian family life as a proper concern of systematic theology, especially ecclesiology. Her analysis leads her to conclude that the increasing interest in domestic church presents a consensus-building opportunity the Catholic church cannot afford to ignore. Where Two or Three Are Gathered offers the first comprehensive theological treatment of domestic church, and contains memorable real-life stories that help to illustrate larger theological points. This timely and important book will appeal to anyone interested in the potentially sacred significance of ordinary activity and the relationship of Christian faith and family life.

The memoirs of a doctor with a debilitated immune system shares her insights on health and medicine from the perspectives of both a patient and caregiver, addressing such topics as how the body's vulnerabilities affect patients and the economic and moral value of sustaining life. Reprint.

Fr. Paul Scalia reveals a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Among the topics explored are deepening one's knowledge of Jesus, partaking of the life of grace through the sacraments, and cultivating the art of prayer as a continuous conversation with God. Each section is introduced by a moving essay by a highly regarded Catholic. Fr. Paul Check, Jim Towey, Scott Hahn, Mary Ellen Bork, Gloria Purvis, Raymond Arroyo, Lizz Lovett, Helen Alvaré, and Dan Mattson offer their personal accounts of being Catholic, which are followed by Fr. Scalia's illuminations. Archbishop Charles Chaput contributes a thought- provoking foreword, which begins the reader's exploration of the many important aspects of the Catholic faith presented in this book.

A set of accessible resources for people leading group worship  suitable for Ordained and Laity. The resources are designed to enable leaders to explore the journey of life and faith through the twelve themes of of Timing, Unity, Providence, Creation, Growth, Service, Justice, Love, Life, Kingdom, Challenge and Light. There are 48 complete services based on the twelve core themes. For each of the themes, there is a suggested creative centre to focus the groups thoughts. Within each of the themes, there are also prayer liturgies which include four homilies or Biblical reflections to develop the theme. There are also suggested points for group discussion and/or personal reflection. All of the material is suitable for dipping into or using in its entirety as suits the occasion and need. Ready to use straight from the page, they can be used for short, complete services or for opening worship as part of Church meetings or group gatherings. They are designed to give informal group leaders confidence and are created specifically to be able to be used in a variety of worship settings, and to encourage people to confidently lead in the worship of God.

Written for a broadly ecumenical audience, 'Where Two or Three Are Gathered' explores what Harmon Smith calls the universe of discourse between the language of Christian worship and the language of morals. Following the customary order of the church's liturgy, Smith demostrates how worship is meant to engender personal and social holiness, and how, for example, prayer, the eucharist, and baptism are inextricably tied to our moral understanding of such searing and conflicted issues as captital punishment, pacifism and warfare, surrogacy, and physician-assisted suicide.

One of the Best Books of the Year The San Francisco Chronicle * The Philadelphia Inquirer * Vox * The Globe and Mail (Toronto) From Tim Wu, author of the award-winning The Master Switch ( a New Yorker and Fortune Book of the Year) and who coined the term "net neutrality"--a revelatory, ambitious and urgent account of how the capture and re-sale of human attention became the defining industry of our time. Ours is often called an information economy, but at a moment when access to information is virtually unlimited, our attention has become the ultimate commodity. In nearly every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of efforts to harvest our attention. This condition is not simply the byproduct of recent technological innovations but the result of more than a century's growth and expansion in the industries that feed on human attention. Wu's narrative begins in the nineteenth century, when Benjamin Day discovered he could get rich selling newspapers for a penny. Since then, every new medium--from radio to television to Internet companies such as Google and Facebook--has attained commercial viability and immense riches by turning itself into an advertising platform. Since the early days, the basic business model of "attention merchants" has never changed: free diversion in exchange for a moment of your time, sold in turn to the highest-bidding advertiser. Full of lively, unexpected storytelling and piercing insight, The Attention Merchants lays bare the true nature of a ubiquitous reality we can no longer afford to accept at face value.

While worship is the primary purpose of all churches, worship in the small church is distinctive. Whether a house church, a new church plant, a rural church along a country road, or a city church whose neighborhood demographics have shifted, these small faith communities present unique opportunities and challenges for worship leaders. Peter Bush and Christine O'Reilly draw on their passion and experience equipping lay people to plan and lead worship to answer the question, what makes for effective worship

NEVER LET ME GO meets THE GIVER in this haunting debut about a cult on an isolated island, where nothing is as it seems. A Guardian Best Book of the Year A Booklist Best Book of the Year A New York Magazine best book of the month A Real Simple best book of the month People Magazine's Book of the Week Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, ten men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers--chosen male descendants of the original ten--are allowed to cross to the wastelands, where they scavenge for detritus among the still-smoldering fires. The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They have children, who have children, and when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. But in the summer, the younger children reign supreme. With the adults indoors and the pubescent in Fruition, the children live wildly--they fight over food and shelter, free of their fathers' hands and their mothers' despair. And it is at the end of one summer that little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others. Born leader Janey Solomon steps up to seek the truth. At seventeen years old, Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is slowly starving herself to death. Trying urgently now to unravel the mysteries of the island and what lies beyond, before her own demise, she attempts to lead an uprising of the girls that may be their undoing. GATHER THE DAUGHTERS is a smoldering debut; dark and energetic, compulsively readable, Melamed's novel announces her as an unforgettable new voice in fiction.